'The biggest loser this summer has been Marcus Smith': RWC winners on England 10 battle

England’s fly-half landscape has changed dramatically over the course of the last 12 months.

Following England’s tour of New Zealand in July 2024, Marcus Smith was the incumbent England fly-half heading into the Autumn Nations Series. He held onto the No.10 jersey throughout a dismal autumn and into the start of the Guinness Six Nations, but by the end of the Championship, he was firmly behind Fin Smith in the pecking order.

In view of England’s successful tour of Argentina and the USA, where George Ford was close to immcualte, and a British & Irish Lions series where Marcus Smith’s game time at fly-half has been limited, the Harlequin has slipped further down the England No.10 ranks. That is even before considering the return of Owen Farrell to the Gallagher Premiership, who was chosen ahead of Marcus Smith on the bench for the second Lions Test against the Wallabies.

All four will be jostling to make Steve Borthwick’s autumn squad in the opening weeks of the season, with only three places likely up for grabs. With a huge battle set to take place, England World Cup winners Lawrence Dallaglio, Lewis Moody and Katy Daley-McLean recently gave their takes on how the England No.10 battle is shaping up on the Stick to Rugby podcast.

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“The biggest loser out of this summer, unfortunately, has been Marcus Smith,” Dallaglio said. “Because he’s gone from last season being England’s first-choice 10 at the beginning of the season to this season being a guy who covers 10 and 15 off the bench, at best, and doesn’t start, and when Owen Farrell is fit, he doesn’t even get to be on the bench.

“If I asked us all to put down our number 10s, what the order would be of those four 10s, you would say at the moment Fin Smith is first-choice England number 10, I would probably say George Ford suddenly becomes number two now, in my opinion, I think, as it stands at the moment, maybe Marcus Smith is three and Owen Farrell is four. I think you start the season with that, and let’s just see what happens.”

While Moody does not think Owen Farrell should start for England, he is adamant that the former captain should be in Borthwick’s squad.

“I love watching Owen Farrell play and I think his inclusion in the [Lions] squad was justified in terms of the way he played the game,” he said.

“Would he start for England? No, I don’t think so. But should he be in the squad as an experienced head, supporting the young guys? Fin Smith seems like the next person who will take on that 10 jersey, George Ford has been a solid go-to man.

“I just feel that someone like Owen Farrell, that brings that leadership, who brings that intensity, for the young fly-halves coming into the squad, having him around would be enormously beneficial. So, yes, 100 per cent. I don’t get all the hating around Owen Farrell, he’s a brilliant player, he’s a world-class individual and he’s got a huge amount to offer.”

Former Red Roses captain and fly-half Daley-McLean disagreed with Dallaglio by now ranking Ford as England’s number one fly-half after the July he enjoyed, with Fin Smith second-choice.

She said: “I think it’s really tough because I think there’s this benefit with the trade-off between experience, but having Fordy and Farrell in there, what does that do to both Smiths? Do they have the opportunity to learn their trade or are they suffocated by having experienced boys? Because, ultimately, there is only so much time you can run in that position.

“I think, for me, Fordy sits in that number one, I think you can’t knock his form for Sale and his influence on the summer tour, Fin Smith is the young boy coming in and needs a bit of time, hasn’t really played. Marcus probably has to find whether he’s a 10 or he’s a 15, because I think being a jack of all trades is not doing any good.”

Dallaglio responded by suggesting Marcus Smith thinks about moving clubs to revive his England career.

“Well, he’s not a 15, that’s for sure, he’s a 10, but he’s got to get back starting at 10,” he said. “You question whether he can do that at Harlequins. I know I’m going a bit off-piste here, but I’d love to see him play for another team, not because I don’t like Harlequins, but they only play one way and that ain’t the way to get picked for England, let you tell me that now.”